New year, new priorities for Virginia men’s basketball

The Cavaliers’ slate of non-conference play did just enough to confirm a few hunches for the fate of the team — and left plenty unresolved — but the first game of ACC play already started answering some questions the hard way.

No. 21 Virginia (12-2, 1-1 ACC) closed their non-conference schedule 11-1 to nearly close out 2025, then opened conference play Dec. 31 in Blacksburg and watched the margin for error shrink dramatically. The Cavaliers pushed in-state rival Virginia Tech (12-3, 1-1 ACC) to triple overtime before falling 95-85 in a grinder defined by physicality, missed shots and an enormous free-throw disparity.

There is not much time to reset, either. The 2026 schedule opened with a victorious road trip to Raleigh for a matchup against NC State Saturday, and is soon to be followed by a West Coast wave — Cal and Stanford will head to Charlottesville, Jan. 7 and Jan. 10 respectively.

With conference play underway — and the first road test already delivering a reminder of what ACC games can demand — three men’s basketball beat writers look back at their previous predictions, outline what non-conference play confirmed and identify what still has not been answered.

Back in October, you picked a player you were most excited to see in a Virginia uniform. How did that pick age through non-conference play?

Emory Huffman, Sports Editor: The jury’s still out on sophomore guard Elijah Gertrude. I chose Gertrude because of his undeniable talent and his status as the only contributing holdover from the Bennett era. To put it bluntly, the talented sophomore has not been a part of Coach Ryan Odom’s gameplan — he’s been bumped out by the likes of graduate guard Jacari White and junior guard Sam Lewis. Perhaps his lack of play is partially a product of his recovery from injury. Perhaps he simply had less time to pick up the new system. Whatever the reason, an injury to White gave Gertrude the opportunity to play 15 minutes in Virginia’s dominant win over American. He excelled when given the chance, notching 11 points on perfect shooting from the field and flashing the explosiveness and athleticism he displayed in previous years. In White’s absence, Gertrude should continue to make his case for more minutes amidst a crowded Virginia bench.

Aimee Crosbie, Sports Editor: In October, I picked freshman guard Chance Mallory. Partly for the novelty of the ‘hometown hero,’ partly because I believed his combative style had the potential to change the pace of a game and allow him to be an effective spark off of the bench. Through non-conference, Mallory has proven that and more. Although he is not a starter on paper, his role has looked increasingly indispensable. He’s consistently playing starter-level minutes and hovering around double-digits in scoring — all while self-creating in the lanes, consistently securing rebounds and stacking steals. His willingness to attack downhill has made him a reliable player to build momentum when the offense begins to stall. What has stood out the most is how naturally he fits into the broader identity shift under Odom — when Mallory is on the floor, Virginia is faster, more aggressive and more willing to impose pace rather than react to it.

Thomas Baxter, Senior Writer: I chose graduate forward Devin Tillis for his unique offensive skillset and all that it could add to this Virginia squad. Tillis missed the team’s first four games recovering from a knee surgery, but has since established himself as a core part of the team’s rotation, averaging 19 minutes per game and making it count. He is shooting 57 percent on two point attempts and 45 percent from three-pointers, while also maintaining a steady presence on the glass as a rebounder. He has also had three three-assist games this season, showcasing his understated ability as a playmaker. Odom has said that he expects to try Tillis in more lineups, including on bigger lineups as more of a small forward, so there is a lot more of Tillis’ game to be seen this season. With his shooting ability and offensive prowess, expect Tillis to have a couple of standout shooting games this spring.

You each outlined your biggest concern for the team entering the season. Has non-conference play validated that concern, or eliminated it?

EH: I was worried about team chemistry in the wake of thorough roster and staff turnover — just three players from last year’s team remain this season. How quickly could the Cavaliers find their identity? So far, that concern seems unwarranted. Virginia has nine players averaging five or more points per game. A different player has led the Cavaliers in scoring in each of the last five games. It is clear so far that this is an unselfish team that finds the hot hand, game after game — a valuable trait, and one that I did not see coming considering the quantity of shoot-first players joining the team. It’s an identity that serves Virginia well when shooters like White go cold from beyond the three-point line or when the Cavaliers’ reliable scorers in the paint struggle to find the rim. Virginia has seen each of these scenarios and weathered each effectively. In short, a potential weakness — manifesting as a variety of play styles and skill sets merging suddenly — might just be Virginia’s greatest strength.

AC: My concern was simple — that there’s only one basketball, and this roster has a lot of guys who can score. Through non-conference, Virginia has mostly answered this concern in the best way possible, averaging 87.2 points a night. ‘Who’s got it tonight’ has become a feature of this team rather than a flaw. White’s 7-for-7 torching of Dayton from the arc is the clearest example of the roster embracing the hot hand instead of fighting over fair touches. Freshman forward Thijs De Ridder’s recent 27 against American is another. With that all being said, that concern has not vanished entirely. Virginia’s sole loss of their non-conference lineup shows that, up against vastly more physical opponents, Odom’s offense can wobble more into desperate dribbles and possession-by-possession shot hunting. Odom himself has said it best — “I think when we pass and we’re crisp and aggressive, we can be tough to guard.”

TB: Before the season, I was concerned about the difficulty of Virginia’s road schedule. The Cavaliers have now played six games away from home, but three were neutral site games where the opponent was also not on their own court. In the Cavaliers’ first true away game, they decimated a solid Texas side, shooting 50 percent from three and leading for 36 minutes of play. They then turned around with an impressive, if narrow, win over Dayton in an NBA arena in Charlotte, N.C.. Still, the true road tests for Virginia are yet to come. Starting conference play 1-1 at Virginia Tech and NC State is already a less-than-ideal, and the spring will see the Cavaliers make trips to face Louisville, SMU and Duke away from John Paul Jones Arena. A mid-February match in Nashville, Tenn. against a strong Ohio State team will also be a match with legitimate tournament implications played away from the comfort of home. In short, Virginia has so far looked like a very good road team that can shoot itself into any match, but the toughest away contests are coming in 2026, and can make or break the season.

What is a question that non-conference play hasn’t answered yet?

EH: Can Virginia compete with more physical teams?

The Maryland game exposed Virginia’s struggles with physicality. De Ridder is one of the most physically imposing Cavaliers — standing 6-foot-9 and 238 pounds — but the Terrapins locked him down even without their star forward Pharrel Payne. Virginia lost the rebound battle 41-34 in that game, racking up fouls and giving up easy points at the free throw line as the Cavaliers tried to establish themselves in the paint. ACC programs will bring similar or greater levels of physicality, throwing De Ridder and company into the fire. The likes of No. 5 Duke and No. 12 North Carolina will push the Cavaliers’ physicality to the limit.

AC: Can Virginia get consistent stops without fouling?

Odom has made it clear what Virginia wants to be defensively — a team that is able to “dictate and disrupt.” Against Maryland, the Cavaliers racked up 15 steals and forced 19 turnovers, creating a strong possession-driven advantage. This also presented a trade-off — the fine line that exists between aggression and whistles. That risk was ever-present Dec. 20, with the Terrapins making it to the free-throw line 22 times. The Cavaliers have already played multiple games where the whistle determined the outcome — take the Northwestern matchup, a high-major win that proved Virginia can survive ugly shooting nights. The game was still one where both teams finished with 51 personal fouls each, two Cavaliers fouled out and the game was decided by the will of the charity stripe. ACC play will only exacerbate that fine margin, and much of Odom’s roster will be pressured to find a balance so that high-conference opponents won’t be living in the bonus.

TB: Can the free-throw shooting get better?

As of now, two players — De Ridder and Mallory — have attempted 39 percent of Virginia’s free throws on the season. Mallory has made a solid 81 percent of his attempts, the same as graduate guard Dallin Hall, but those two numbers being the team’s highest is not an encouraging sign. The Cavaliers rank No. 291 in the country for free throw shooting percentage at 67.8 percent, with De Ridder making around 62 percent of his attempts, while freshman center Johann Grünloh has made only 43 percent. With some physical games turning into a free-throw shooting contest down the stretch, this team will have to raise those averages, and do so quickly. It may seem like an oxymoron to add that the Cavaliers also have to get to the line more — they are only No. 151 in the country in free throw rate — but that can be a strong tell for a winning team and drawing that contact needs to be a habit for when three-pointers are not falling.

New year, new priorities for Virginia men’s basketball

Three beat writers revisit their preseason takes and identify what matters heading into the rest of ACC play

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